Can I have a little airplane dirt with that?

Yesterday Matt's sister left for Italy. Matt called me up to tell me all about the 3 course meal that she was going to get. I started laughing the second he called it a 3 course meal. He said it, as if just the phrase made it a good meal.

I have had my fair share of international flight meals. Some have been awful and other ones have been really awful. I have no idea what it is they do to the meal that makes it that awful, but it tastes like the smell of the airplane. That stale air smell and turns into a rancid air smell after about an hour in. I think the food can be best described as a bland sour taste. One you take a bite you don't get the taste out of your mouth and the fact that you're hungry and feel like you should eat forces at least one more bite which will probably be exactly the thing to throw your stomach over the edge.

My advice pack food. Thankfully all of the neurotic no liquid rules have not affected food, so my bags are packed with munchies even for a short flight. Food helps you get over that nauseous overly tired been in the air too long feeling, but the wrong food makes it worse. I normally pack the snack mix with M&Ms and peanuts; I mean who does not love that mix and when you need something sweet you can pick out the M&Ms and when you need something salty you can eat the peanuts and if you hit rock bottom and become terribly desperate you can eat the raisins.

Does anyone know why they put raisins in that mix? I mean who likes raisins anyway. I personally don't. They are all sweet and wrinkly and chewy. I am not a fan of raisins, so most of the time when I get the peanut mix all that is left is the raisins unless I am smart and pick them out before hand just so I don't get desperate enough to try one just in case I might like it this time(I never do.).

I hear that the meal up in first class are actually tasty. How one can make 200 meals taste awful and 20 taste good is beyond me. I mean if there is potential for a satisfactory meal what makes the coach meals taste so bad. I'm sticking to my plane dirt hypothesis, but who knows. If McDonalds can make a satisfactory tasting meal that can be put in a bag and eaten 40 minutes later, then I'm thinking the airline companies can start rethinking their meals.

Matt's sister has probably already had her "3 course meal" experience. Lucky for her she is going to Italy for 3 months, so I am sure the food she will be enjoying there will make her forget the tragic experience on the plane. For any of the rest of you who are planning a vacation to France, Italy, or wherever your international dream vacation may take you; pack food and if it's the M&Ms mix remember to take out the raisins(unless you like raisins).

Happy Eating!!!

Emily